Pope seeks to defuse Korea nuclear tensions at Vatican meeting

Pope Francis is seeking to defuse rising nuclear tensions on the Korean peninsula and boost support for disarmament efforts with a Vatican conference that brings together 11 Nobel Peace prize winners, U.N. and NATO officials and a handful of countries with the bomb.

For some analysts, Francis’ address Friday will offer a welcome break in the heated war of words between President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, as Trump continues his first trip to Asia as president.

But the Vatican hopes it will do more, and mark a turning point in shifting public opinion away from the Cold War-era idea that atomic weapons serve a purpose for deterrence and global security.